Cheap, light xmas pressies to post! Any ideas?

chicklet_2

Having known for ages that I wasn't going to be seeing any of my family this Christmas, it has only just occurred to me that I'm going to have to post presents to them, rather than give them what I orginally had in mind.
(which were going to be homemade mulled wine and cider for the men, and planted bulbs in glass vases and a pot of handcream for the ladies...bit too heavy and fragile to post. :'( )

And just realised that it's now the 9th - eek! - and I have no idea what to give them. ???

So I really need ideas for Mum and Step-Dad, Dad and Step-Mum, and brother and sister-in-law.......please!! (or I'll be ostracised for being a crap daughter and sister.)

oh, and they kinda need to be as cheap as poss - due to a slight lack of dosh this year.... :-[

I'd be really grateful for any ideas.

Sarahsaver

I bought some whisky liqueur chocolates today in the co-op and they are only 99p, plus the box is long and narrow enough to fit through a letterbox.
Or else why dont you print them vouchers promising to do things for them, to be 'cashed in' when they need it?
That way you can further postpone the cost!

Galtizz

Someone else suggested a lottery ticket, not usre if it's suitable for your parents though  :-/

Or, how about an I.O.U.  Being as you've gone to so much trouble to make there presents, you could take a photo of the prezzie and wrap it up (the photo) and tell them it's sitting at your house waiting for them to collect  ;)

r.mac_2

Are they all going to be in one place? Perhaps the cost of a parcel of all the presents (in a big box - grab one froma supermarket) would be reasonable?

otherwise, Have you any friends going in the right direction?

You have put in a lot of effort, and it seems a real shame not to go with your original idea.

Good luck

Fionnuala_2

Hi Chicklet

On Boots.com last night there were hampers available at up to 75% off...an absolute bargain! The great thing about these is that they can be delivered to an addresss which isn't yours(!!) and you can have a personalised note attached on them. Maybe that would help? Think there is triple advantage card points too. Also code HFDM48 should give you a further 10% discount - at least it did for me at about 2.00 am! If the hampers are all gone then there should still be buy two get one free type offers available. Don't know how you could split the delivery addresses, but it might be worth a go. The "get one free" bit should cover the normal £3.50 delivery fee. There is still time to order in time for Xmas.

When I was living in a foreign land I used to send presents in this way, unfortunately not at 75% off, but the method was very satisfactory for both myself and for the recipients as they got a good substantial present and I didn't get sore feet tramping round the shops ;D

MATH

Low cost pressies and low cost postage is a nightmare. My sister lives in the states and we always exchanged gifts by post. But it was a compromise you either bought a decent gift and got screwed on the postage or you bought a !!!!!! gift and posted it cheap. The year she send me a nylon 'Roy Cropper Shopper' :-/and I send her six bits of wire with a bead on to put on wine glasses, we decided not to buy gifts for each other anymore ;D

MATH

Forgot to say. I still by for neices and nephews and she buys for my kidz. the way we do it (having 3 kidz each) is I buy mine from her and she buys hers from me. That way we pay no postage at all.

chicklet_2

Hi there,

thanks for your replies!

I like the idea about taking a photo of their presents and wrapping it up, and maybe put a "christmas" scratchcard or lottery ticket in with the photo so at least they've got something.
Trouble is, I see them so rarely, and they're all in different parts of the country, that it'd probably be next christmas before I got to see them all to give them the presents! Hum.

I looked on the Boots website, but the hampers that looked as though they might be suitable are all sold out.

I think I should have been a tad more organised...

culpepper

Films on DVD
Gift vouchers
A really nice photo of yourself or self and kids if you have kids.

Fionnuala_2

You could still do the mulled cider/wine thing - somewhere on this site there are recipes for them. Just send everything along with the recipes except for the cider/wine. It will probably end up with the women to make, but they can consume it too and everybody have a good night thanks to you.

There's the original idea of scarves/woolly hats/gloves - not heavy at all to send by post. M&S has 20% off their selection at the moment, and H&M is very cheap anyway with a good selection last time I was in.

16011996

could you not send one member of the family some money to get pressies for the others. thats what we do with family at other end of the country.